TRURO - Blake Green-Walsh has never been on an airplane.
But in late January the 17-year-old Salmon River native will be on his way to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, a trip he earned through his hard work and determination at the Robie Street McDonald's in Truro.
Green-Walsh is one of 300 store employees from across the country chosen to work at the event.
"When (management) told me I grabbed my chest and said 'heart attack,'" laughed Green-Walsh yesterday.
"I'll be serving athletes, coaches and media at one of the McDonald's restaurants in the Olympic Village during the Games."
"I've never earned something like this before in my life. It's really nice actually being recognized for my hard work."
Green-Walsh could spend anywhere from 18 to 70 days on the West Coast, depending
on a decision from corporate headquarters.
"When I'm there I'll be given tickets to one of the sporting events. I put in a preference for skiing or snowboarding because I went skiing once and loved it but never had the money to go back," he added.
Green-Walsh also hopes for the opportunity to do a little sightseeing during his time in Vancouver.
"I'm really excited to see the mountains. And really I've never been to a big city before either so that'll be a lot of fun," he said.
"I'm also hoping I'll be able to gain some valuable work experience when I'm there, too."
The teenager has also had the opportunity to speak with some other employees from the province who will be attending the Games.
"Someone who is going from Alberta made a Facebook group about it so we can all chat," Green-Walsh said.
"I'm so excited I have a countdown on my own Facebook wall and every night I go in and change it. Right now it's something like 160 days."